Dinner At Mr. Jefferson's is, but for a few discordant notes, the perfect monograph. It chronicles a pivotal event in American history, profiles the belligerents who contested it, and draws some broad conclusions about its impact on the future. Frequently, the authors of micro histories resort to inflating the importance of their chosen subjects to justify the many pages of fluff which preoccupy their books. But Mr. Sarami's subject speaks for itself, as do the men who made it a reality.
In June of 1790, three of the ablest men of the American Revolution, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and Thomas Jefferson, met for a dinner at Mr. Jefferson's house in Philadelphia. Over five wines and various courses of refined French food, the three men discussed the weighty matters of the moment: the placement of the national capital, the role of democracy, and the federal assumption of America's war debt. But while this conversation may sound similar to those we might have when we are in the mood to right the world's wrongs, these men actually had the power to change their country's future, and they did. At the dinner's conclusion, a political compromise was reached, one in which Hamilton conceded the national capital to the South in lieu of New York, while gaining in exchange the votes necessary for his debt-assumption plan which did as much as any other maneuver to legitimize federalism and the federal government's right to tax its citizens.It was a compromise which, while not putting to rest the political differences between the men, did a great deal to stabilize the country's financial footing while relocating in the hands of the Southern states the seat of American power.
We live in an era of political fractiousness, a time where the intensity of media scrutiny has contributed mightily to the disintegration of political compromise. If every vote and every bargain is scrutinized by 24/7 news channels how is it remotely possible for politicians, motivated by the self-interested wish to keep their seats in government, to operate on anything other than ideological grounds? Mr. Sarami's book is a wonderful example of how compromises, made in private, can do a great deal to advance the cause of the nation as a whole. But while this is an important revelation, Dinner At Mr. Jefferson's teaches an even more critical lesson.
To become a person of power and influence, it is necessary to have an abundance of self-belief, self-belief driven by ego. Save Franklin and Washington, no three men did more, intellectually, to give birth to their country than Hamilton, Madison and Jefferson, each of whom might have believed their contribution to America greater than any other. That these men convened to find common ground, to trade for the betterment of the nation, is a beautiful example of how big egos can function healthily within politics. When victory over ones foe becomes all that matters, then ones opponent must necessarily be a loser. No egotist wants to be a loser, hence discord. But if, instead of victory, one settles for a fair exchange, "I get something I want from you and give you back something you want from me," than no one entirely wins but no one loses either. Progress is made. This is an enduring truth, one that has been sadly, all too often, discarded by our leaders.
Mr. Sarami's descriptions of the compromise, the players involved, and the tactics they deployed to achieve their ends are graceful, informative and fascinating. This is fantastic work. (4/5 Stars)
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